Top-bow-joint construction



March 19, 1929.

J.H.CLARK TOP BOW JOINT CONSTRUCTION Filed July 14, 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet l an}; I 4/.

INVENTOR. Jaime: a 024% WWW ATTORNEY6.

March 19, 1929. J. H. cLARK I TOP BOW JOINT CONSTRUCTION Filed July 14, 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet \a v 6 383... r q

INVENTOR. Games if 6747' ATTORNEYfi.

Patented Mar. 19, 1929. c

JAMES HTED STA'TE S" PATENT OFFICE...

Ir; CLARK, or DETROIT, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR To BRIGGS MANUFACTURING GOMPANY, or DETROIT, MICHIGAN, A ooRPoRATIor'I on MICHIGAN. Y 1

ToP-Bow-JoINT CONSTRUCTION.

Application filed. .Tuly 14. 1926. Serial 1rd; 122,381.

rugged construction that can be quickly assembled. I c g Another object is to provide. a top bow 15 bracket construction having boltretaining.

means'so as to provide againstan accidental displacement of the bolts, especially when the top is attached as a unit to the top framework.

invention resides'incertain novel features of construction, combinations and arrangementsof parts as 111 be more fully de-- scribed and particularly pointed out in the Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view of the same, c i Figure 3 is a sectional view on line D'-D of Figure 2; i I c I 1 .Figure 4 is a sectional view on lineE-E of Figure 2. I In the drawings thenumeral 1 designates a side wall of a motor bus, While at 2 is shown a portion of a bus roof secured to the side wall in a manner to be hereinafter described. Extending from top to bottom of the side wall is a channel-shaped pillar 3 having its open portion facing outwardly, said pillar being provided with a corresponding channel-shaped cover 4 embracing the same and closing the channel thereof. As shown in Figure 4;, the side portions of the pillar terminate short of the base of the cover and the sides of the cover likewise guard rail 9, while at'thei r upper edges they WVith these and other objects in; viewe -the Gare spaced from each other, forming a lon- V are'joined to a roof rail reinforcing member 10 which extendslongitudinally of the side of thebus substantially parallel to the upper guard rail 9 y V c flanged opening 11 is provided in the horizontal base portion of the upper guard rail, through which the pillar 3 with its cover 4 projects,thecover portion terminating at the upper edgeof the flange as at 12 and being butt-welded thereto and to the pillar 3; This forms a very strong and rugged joint between theupperguard rail,

and easy assembly of parts. i f I As shown, the. pillar extends upwardly between the panels 5 and 6 and passes through an opening 13 in the roof rail reinforcing member 10, said opening. being directly above and in alignment with the lower opening 11 aforesaid and which is likewise propillar' and cover and provides for a quick vided with a similarly formed upstandingv flange 14 to which the edges of the pillar are lguittwelded as at 15. v

The roof rail reinforcing member" 10 is substantially U-shaped in formation and, as

shown, the upper edge ofthe panel 6 is suitf ably. connected to the inner side portion thereof as at 16, while the upper edge of the outer panel 5 is flanged inwardly and connected to' the base of the reinforcing member, asat 17. g

.Provided at the outer side of the reinforcing member 10 is an outwardly extend ing lateral flange 18, while above the open-v ing 13 .is positioned an inverted U-shaped plate 19, the side walls of which lie within the side wallsof the roof rail reinforcing welding operation to the web of the plate 19 and to the reinforcing member 10, while the side wallsof the plate 19 are also preferably welded to the side walls of the reinforcing member 10.

As is readily apparent, any desired number of pillars 3 maybe positioned at predetermined points along the side wall of.

the bus so as to provide sufficient supporting surfaces for the bus roof'2. 'Extending longitudinally of the bus is a roof rail 21, being adapted to rest upon the flat horizontal support formed by the base portions 1 thereof.

of the U-shaped plates 19 .and the lateral flange 18 of the reinforcing member 10 while extending along the outside of the roof rail and partially supported upon the flange 18 is a drip molding 22. Located at intervals along the roof rail and supported thereby are wooden top bows, an end portion of one being represented at 23, and being provided with a metal strengthening strap 24.

For attaching the top bow to the roof rail there are provided right and left hand angle brackets having upstanding portions 26 and lateral horizontal portions 27 In order to obtain the proper uniform spacing between the brackets, the portions 27 are mounted upon a base plate 28, which in turn is securely attached to the top'of the roof rail in any suitable manner. As shown, suitable bolts 29 clamp the top bow between the brackets 25, while bolts 30 are provided for attaching the roof rail and roof struc ture- 2 to the roof rail reinforcing member 10', the bolts extending through transverse bores in the roof rail and projecting down through suitable openings formed in the plate 19, supports 20 and reinforcing member 10.

In view of the fact that the roof 2 is assembled as a unit, it is necessary to provide some means for preventing the bolts 30 from slipping out of place. Such a contingency would necessitate the removal of a portion of the roof covering, causing great delay and added expense in the assembly To provide against such a condition, the brackets 25 are provided with boltretaining flanges 31, which are bent over upon the heads of the bolts. after they are.

scribed and that such changes may be resorted to when desired as fall within the scope of what is claimed.

"What I claim as my invention is:

1. In a vehicle body, the combination with a roof rail, of a reinforcing member supporting said roof rail and having an opening therein, a supporting pillar for said roof rail and reinforcing member projecting through the opening in said, reinforcing member, and means for securing said pillar thereto.

2. In a vehicle body, the combination with a roof rail, of a reinforcing member supporting said roof rail and having an opening therein provided with an upstanding flange, and a supporting pillar for said roof rail and reinforcing member projecting through said opening in the reinforcing member and secured to said flange. 1 e

3. In a vehicle body, the combination with a roof rail, of a reinforcing member supporting said roof rail and having an opening therein provided with an upstanding flange, and a supporting pillar for said roof rail and reinforcing member projecting through the opening in said reinforcing member, the edges of said pillar being butt welded to said upstanding flange.

at. In a vel' 'cle body, the combination with a pillar, of a Li-shaped reinforcing member secured to the top of said pillar and supported thereby, the outer edge of said reinforcing member being provided with a lateral flange, an inverted U-shaped plate secured in said reinforcing member and having its base portion lying substantially in the same horizontal plane as the lateral flange of the reinforcing member and forming therewith aflat base, and a roof rail to said seating upon said base and secured reinforcing member.

- In testimony whereof I aiiix my signature.

v JAMES H. 

